Adeline Gleason and Demus Martinez have been long term affiliates with WSCAT. Since 2017, each of them have taken almost every class WSCAT has to offer including financial education, homeownership education, and small business education. They have also participated in the IDA programs for business, home renovation, and vehicles. 

Demus has fished since he was a little kid and wanted to make a business out of the salmon he was catching. Through WSCAT programs, he began to develop his business. First, he obtained a certificate to process and sell the salmon he was catching. They started small, setting up and selling their smoked candied salmon out of the back of their truck on the side of the road. They couldn’t keep up with demand then. People from all over the United States were stopping to buy their salmon by the summer of 2024.

Hearing talk about business in her house encouraged Adeline to take small business classes. Adeline, a book and TV lover, hopes to use the knowledge she obtained through WSCAT’s classes and counseling to make a ‘bookstore realty store in Warm Springs. She wants to sell mocktails, teas, and other apparel, along with books. Adeline is currently in the planning stage for her business and is looking for a building. 

Additionally, they were very happy to participate in counseling and learn more about housing when the pipes on their 1970’s trailer froze. It was a complicated process, but they were confident that they could navigate the system after participating in WSCAT programming. They were able to move quickly into emergency housing and were able to use an IDA to furnish the new home. 

Adeline expressed her gratitude for their experiences in the program, saying “we wouldn’t be where we are today without this program.” She recommends all WSCAT classes and encourages participants to ask questions.